Keidi and Calvin plus Two... the reality show...

Reality shows have had some bad press lately, so we've been doing extra video around our house to try to show how great family life can be.

Adessa, like most of us I guess, is quite fascinated with seeing herself reflected. She enjoys seeing herself on camera or video (she wants to watch herself while being filmed, it gets tricky.) She also likes to see herself in the mirror... or our stainless steel garbage can, or our black stove, or in my sunglasses... anywhere, really. Any glimpse will do. And she especially likes to see herself cry. Luckily, she's been crying and grouchy frequently and therefore we have plenty of footage.


Here's a typical Adessa and Eliana interaction. Watch how Eliana bravely flaps around, totally vulnerable to any sudden loss of balance or distracted round-house by Adessa. Adessa is actually very sweet with Eliana. (And very shrill. Note the unbelievably high pitch Adessa uses to talk to her.)

NOTE: I'm going to work on getting this video to work. I think it may be too long, not sure, but didn't want to delay the post any longer. 8)

We don't worry about keeping up with our neighbors. Because it would be impossible. See for yourself:

Our backyard: (We do have video of Adessa in her tub, but she is nakey-noodle and I'm not sure it's allowed. Or advised. No nakey-noodle on our blog.)

Their backyard:

They own that thing! And have the grass to set it up on. (During Adessa's birthday party, we lost Gwennie for a minute because she slipped through an opening in the fence and found our neighbors' swing set and climbing castle. Really, who could blame her. Luckily this Jump-Pool thingy wasn't up. And no, we don't even try to compete. )

A few stills: Eliana Smiles! Ahhh!


The sisters in their first cooperative fort effort- Eliana provided the baby floor- gym activity mat thing for structure, Adessa provided the tent blanket.


Eliana Sleeps- Sometimes. I like to capture it on film when it happens. (Its not THAT bad, but sometimes it seems... bad. She is a light sleeper, and she doesn't sleep in the car or in her car seat. Sometimes, these combined mean she doesn't sleep at all, and then we all suffer. 8) She is awfully cute, though.
I know, I know. Back to sleep! She doesn't GO back to sleep unless she's on her side or belly. So when I'm awake and able to check on her often, she's happily smushed like this.

By Popular Demand...

Here are more pictures of our dirty girl:

Pre-Raccoon Eyes


Looking like a dangerous criminal in her getaway coupe


As her vocabulary expands, it's fun to watch Adessa figure out (and not figure out) words. She uses words a few times and then tries to use them again... funny. She saw me put on my apron and asked for her "curtain". Close! She wanted a bone when we were eating hot dogs, kept on asking for a bone. It was a BUN she wanted. And she crumbled her cake into "tumbs" instead of crumbs. Language aquisition is so cool to watch. Her other funny saying is: "Last more." when she gets to the end of something. It's a combo of "last one" and "one more".

Eliana is smiling! We'll try to get it on camera, it's tough. She's awake more frequently, holding her head up well, and getting more of a personality. Fun!

It's My Party!...

And I'll get really dirty if I want to! Adessa's birthday party was fun. The adults sat and talked on our new and improved patio, and the kids dug, flung,ate and otherwise hung out in our dirt. Others have sand boxes, we've a dirt-box. We don't have aftermath pics of the party, sadly, but here's how dirty Adessa got on a different day.



Friends and family came from near...


and far!


Adessa and Eliana sported matching puffy pink princess dresses. We posed them in their tandem leopard print camping chair. Too cute. This girl stuff is fun! Thanks to Amy for the dresses and Katie for the chair.



The cake. I include this because it was a ton of work, most of which (the toppers) I did over spring break.

Happy Birthday, Adessa! P.S. We went to Oregon

I thought I wouldn't have time to post today, the actual birthday, because of graduation. Poor Adessa, this will always be an issue around her birthday, but as I am reminded, that's how we planned it, for the end of the school year. But I have a minute!


The birthday girl this morning, with special Minnie Mouse pancakes made by Daddy.


And did I mention we visited Calvin's brother and family in Oregon last weekend? We're trying to take full advantage of his time off. It was fun meeting the cousins for the first time.

Adessa and cousin Sophia (18 months) on the quad.


Adessa and cousin Hope (almost four) posing.


The cousins all lined up. With the older cousins, too, Isabella and Nathan.


Calvin and Carroll. (and Sophia)


Eliana sitting pretty at our hotel.


The little troopers driving home.



Back at home.
We'll never wash our car again!


There's the smile!

Big News!

Eliana got baptised! Yesterday, at the oddest time in baptism history: Wednesday, June 10th at 5:00 pm. An undoubtably odd time, squashed above vespers, followed by finger foods, and very very lovely. She cried a ton, partly because she was hungry (a big whoops on my part, she had been sleeping and I didn't want to wake her, but then... she woke up, duh.) She did great, though, in the water, and there will be many pictures to come. We don't have any because we didn't take any... another duh. There were many photographers, though, and we'll post a bunch when we get them.

The next big news is that: Adessa turns two tomorrow. We'll have a little birthday party for her on Sunday to celebrate, and do something special tomorrow. Wow. Two years of Adessa. Really, its mind boggling. Flaggerbasting, as my Swiss friends says. She's been so cute lately, like telling me that her Minnie Mouse doll "barfed" as she burped her, (in honor of Eliana, no doubt). (And then, not so cute, she cried for about 40 minutes straight before her naptime today. We tried to feed her lunch before putting her down and it was an excercise in creativity, distraction, and patience. She did eat, we're proud to report, and then, thankfully, she did nap.)(I wonder if this part of the blogging baby book/record I should keep out, if she'll be embarrased to read it someday, etc. Interesting, this self-reporting business. Sorry future Adessa!)

Some video highlights of our two year old: (I'll get some video of Eliana on here, too, now that I know I can do it!)

Playing at the park with the best Daddy ever!


Bumble Bee Girl!

One Month of Two Kids

Awwwwwww!

Eliana will be one month old tomorrow, June 5th. She's growing so fast, and yet still so small and helpless. She's looking around more, albeit as if dazed, tries to lift her head off my shoulder and then bonks, she makes the cutest little coos and grunts, she only cries when she's hungry or tired, and she is getting chubby! Cute! That means we've had four weeks of two kiddos, and wow... its hard. Not harder than I expected, but different than I expected, and hard.

Adessa is still doing fine with Eliana: she gets excited to see her, wants to pet her and kiss her, wants Eliana to watch her do things, etc. However, Adessa is almost two years old, and many, many things set her off crying. What sets her off cannot be predicted, so we are a bit on edge sometimes because we just never know if we put her water in the right sippy cup or cut her sandwich into the right amount of pieces. The unpredictability part rankles, it's like being blindsided. Woahhhh. Where did THAT come from? We are not sure what part of her distress is baby-related and what part is just because she's entering the realm of "TWO".

At the same time, there are moments of absolute pleasantness and charm. She's talking a blue streak, and singing and dancing and creating and its a wonder to behold. We play "Guess who this belongs to?" when folding the laundry (a fantastic game, really, Adessa and I recommend it.) I told her that what I was folding was a pillow case, and she said: "Just in case?" She earnestly, loudly, and slightly nasal-ly sings many songs, especially "Rain, Rain, Go Away", "Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star", the trisagion, and "Baby Beluga". She has a ballerina skirt and is not afraid to use it. She has her own modified movements, her own way of twirling (a back and forth lumbering spin), her own way of leaping (kicking one leg out) and her own way of stretching (she reaches up high, but has her hands pointed down, fingers toward the ground? Who knows.) She's adorable. And I miss her. Besides being Eliana's go-to woman, back in baby-land, I tried to lay low for the first few weeks. Calvin would take Adessa on adventures out and about, which was great bonding time for them but... I miss her. I have this funny feeling when I pick her up, partly due to the two year old thing and unforseeable rejection, and partly due to the hours I've been spending with Eliana and not paying attention to her. It feels how I did in junior high, how will she react to me right now? Maybe because when I pick her up I just want to squeeze squeeze squeeze her, and she's not very into being squeezed right now. Or kissed. "No kisses, mommy." Sad! I wonder, also, if it's just the mommy-guilt feeling, kicking into gear for me already.

These four weeks have brought up a lot for me. I've been thinking about kids, and how many kids, and my grandma's favorite saying: "There's enough love to go around." In theory, yes. Its easy to say so. I definitely love my girls, of course, no doubt. But is there enough time to go around? I certainly do not have enough arms to go around for these two! Not yet, anyway, I haven't hit my stride or figured it out and I don't feel like there's enough of me to go around. I never wanted an only child, and Adessa can handle it and it will be worth it for both of them as they have another person to love them and be right there growing up with them. And I'm sure it will all get better. Its the adjustment. The adjustmnent with one kid was giving up our social lives, and never being able to just "pop" anywhere. The adjustment with two kids is feeling like both kids are getting less of me, which doesn't sit easy. And it really calls into question my long-time desire to have three kids. We'll see about that, after a lot of consideration and evaluation of this whole two-kid-thing. A friend said when their family went from two kids to three, that they went from "one-on-one defense to zone defense." Apt description.

Here's Adessa, the Ballerina. (I finally figured out how to show videos on the blog!)